Liberty’s Asia Durr Opens Up About Fight With COVID-19

New York Liberty’s guard, Asia Durr, continues to fight daily with COVID-19 although it has been eight months since she tested positive.

Durr, 23, tested positive on June 8. 2020, and her experience was nothing short of life-changing. She opened up to “Real Sports” correspondent Mary Carillo, stating that her life has “completely changed” since she was diagnosed, per Yahoo! Sports.

Durr expressed having severe lung pain comparing it to being stabbed. She has since lost 32 pounds and has had to change her daily habits:

Louisville legend Asia Durr is still in a major fight with Covid after being diagnosed in June. She’s lost 32 lbs and hasn’t played basketball in 6 months. She’s unsure if she’ll ever play again. Very sad. 📺: @wncaudill pic.twitter.com/AVdtuklovB

— Nick Coffey (@TheCardConnect) January 27, 2021

“There’s days where I feel great where I can go out and go to the store or I can clean up,” Durr said. “And then there’s days where I’m like, I just have to stay in the bed. You just feel like you get hit by a bus.”

This was a major turnaround for the former Louisville player who ranked second in career points (2,485) and was drafted 2nd overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the New York Liberty.

Durr then opted out of the 2020 WNBA season, having been listed as a “medical high-risk player” and questions if she will ever be able to play basketball again.

“I haven’t been able to [pick up a ball],” Durr said. “It’s really challenging for me. But I’ve talked to doctors and they’ve told me I’m not cleared yet. I’m not cleared to be able to do anything physically, which could cause flare-ups [is] what they call it. And that’s what’s really hard for me because in life whenever something was hard I would go and play. I can’t even do that now. I can’t even shoot a free throw.”

Although this has been a rough time for the Ann Meyer Drysdale Award winner, she tweeted a thank you to those who have supported her, and stressed the importance of taking COVID-19 seriously:

Thanks again everyone for the support. My hope is that in sharing my struggle, it will help others. PLEASE take COVID seriously folks. It’s very real. Wear a mask! Protect each other. Young people, athletes, you too. We are not invincible.

— Asia Durr (@A_Hooper25) January 27, 2021

She’s also optimistic about her future in the WNBA and is doing what she can to get back on her feet.

Also, to be clear: I am working every day to be back for this WNBA season! My progress is slow and incremental, but I’m striving to gain momentum. Thankful for @NYLiberty for their patience & resources. This entire struggle has been a powerful reminder of all my blessings too.

— Asia Durr (@A_Hooper25) January 27, 2021